Pinterest is amazing. I was introduced to the addicting social media site in 2010 and never turned back. Besides the fact that you are free to do whatever you can dream of – plan your wedding, get crafty, find recipes, laugh on the humor page all day or even catch up on news – there is a huge creative opportunity for companies to come up with marketing campaigns and contests to reach their customers. The main driving factor behind Pinterest is it’s an outlet for us to organize and get inspired about what we want to do in real life. That means we LOVE companies that make our Pinterest dreams a reality.

In November I talked about Sephora’s portfolio of social media contests, including its Pinterest #SephoraSweeps wish list contest. Users could follow the company’s boards, “Holiday: 40 Days of Wishes” and “Sephora Sweepstakes,” for a chance to win any makeup of their choice. A lot of business Pinterest contests require users to follow a company’s Pinterest page, create a board based on the campaign and pin/re-pin with designated hashtags.

Unlike Sephora’s sweepstakes boards that were only really live for the duration of the contest, AMC Theatres has a board on its Pinterest page called “AMC Giveaways” that updates with giveaways as they happen. Opportunities include winning a prize pack from box office movies, signed posters, Blu-Ray DVD sets, a year’s worth of free movies from AMC, autographed director’s chairs and more. Follow AMC Giveaways to stay up-to-date on goodies from your favorite movies.

What I really like about Pinterest campaigns is the opportunity for companies to go above and beyond the traditional, “Enter to Win”-type contests. Kotex, the feminine health and hygiene provider, is a great example of that. In March 2012, the company created a campaign called “Woman’s Inspiration Day.” It located 50 inspiring Pinterest female users and sent them a personalized kit based on what they pin. From 50 packages sent, there were 2,284 social media interactions and 694,853 total impressions. Check out the video:

Contests Happening Now

Ultimate Travel Companion

Condé Nast’s Traveler magazine is hosting a Pinterest contest for a chance to win one of three Sony NEX-5RK/B cameras, including one grand prize package with a zoom lens and a camera case. The “Ultimate Travel Companion” contest requires users to create an original Pinterest board representing the inspiration for your next must-see destination, pin at least two items from the Condé Nast Traveler and Sony Electronics Pinterest pages, tag each item and your board with #travelcompanion and fill out the contest entry form. The deadline for the contest is January 22.

Connected Living Room

In Mashable’s first Pinterest contest, it wants users to create a board filled with things they want in their ultimate living room. Users create a board called, “Connected Living Room,” and pin anything they want. Winners could win one of three brand new gadgets, including the new 47” LG Google TV, an LG Optimus G smartphone or an LG Touch10 monitor. Deadline for the contest is January 18.

New Year, New Room

The RoomPlace is giving away a \$500 gift card and five \$100 gift cards to The RoomPlace. Enter on the company’s Facebook page, follow the company on Pinterest and create a “New Year, New Room” board and re-pin at least five items from The RoomPlace. Winners will be chosen based on the most likes and comments on Pinterest. The contest runs from January 14 to January 28.